hit  at  Ditto  goth. 


COLUMBIA  LIBRARIES  OFFSITE 


No.  62. 


AR01 499866 


I~N  ASSEMBLY, 

February  25,  1868. 


REPORT 

OF  THE  HARLEM  BRIDGE  COMMISSIONERS. 

To  the  Hon.  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York: 

The  Commissioners  to  complete  the  building  of  the  bridge  over 
Harlem  river  at  the  termination  of  the  Third  avenue,  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  submit  the  following  report  of  their  proceedings 
during  the  past  year,  aucl  of  the  present  condition  of  the  work  : 

Since  their  last  report,  the  north  abutment,  one  hnndred  feet  in 
width,  with  wings  and  steps,  balustrade  and  copeing,  has  been 
built. 

The  swing  span,  including  balustrade-,  copeing,  arches,  and  rail- 
ing, has  been  completed. 

The  fixed  spans,  except  the  bays  over  the  exterior  columns  or 
the  north  and  south  piers,  have  been  finished. 

The  roadway  and  sidewalks,  have  been  laid. 

Temporary  lamp-posts  and  lanterns  have  been  erected,  gas  pipes 
laid  and  gas  supplied. 

A  water  engine,  operating  the  swing  span,  has  been  constructed 
and  affixed  to  the  bridge,  and  pipes  connecting  it  with  Croton  main 
have  been  laid;  and  so  noiseless,  rapid,  and  perfect  are  its  opera- 
tions, that  the  swing  span  is  opened  and  shut  apparently  by  magic. 

The  old  bridge,  except  two  submerged  piers,  has  been  removed. 

The  approaches  were  so  far  completed,  and  the  whole  work  so 
far  advanced,  that  on  the  16th  of  October  last  the  bridge  was 
opened  for  public  travel,  and  since  that  time  thousands  have 
crossed  it  daily. 

The  brackets  under  the  sidewalks  are  yet  to  be  made  and  put 
in  position. 

[Assem.  No.  62.  J  1 


TTt, 

£Cy  2  [ASSEMBLY 

Granite  and  blue-stone  flagging  and  curbing,  and  Belgian  or 
I  ^gnjficholson  pavement  for  the  approaches  are  to  be  procured  and  laid. 
^    Permanent  gothic  lamp-posts  are  to  be  erected. 

The  submerged  piers  of  the  old  bridge  have  not  been  removed. 

The  east  retaining  wall  of  the  north  approach,  and  those  of  the 
south  approach,  have  not  been  erected. 

The  bays  over  the  exterior  columns  of  the  north  and  south  piera 
are  still  wanting. 

Other  portions  of  the  bridge  may  need  slight  touches,  but  other- 
wise no  further  labor  or  material  will  be  required  to  complete  this 
magnificent  structure. 

The  following  material  has  been  placed  in  position  since  the  date 
of  their  last  report : 

Cast  iron  (pounds)     473,373 

Wrought  iron  (pounds)   48,982 

Masonry  in  the  abutments  and  retaining  and  guard 

walls  (yards)   1,689^ 

Lumber  in  roadway  and  sidewalks  (feet)   132,000 

A  portion  of  the  last  appropriation  for  the  completion  of  the 
bridge  has  been  expended  in  constructing  the  south  approach  and 
removing  the  old  bridge. 

The  amount  of  appropriation  unexpended  is   $33,808  04 

The  estimate  of  the  chief  engineer  for  the  completion 

of  the  bridge  is    54,500  00 

For  the  completion  of  the  south  approach  is   20,100  00 

For  the  completion  of  the  north  approach  is   51,900  00 

For  removal  of  the  submerged  piers   3,000  00 


It  therefore  appears  from  the  report  of  the  chief  engineer,  hereto 
annexed,  that  it  will  require,  after  expending  the  amount  on  hand 
for  that  purpose,  an  appropriation  of  forty-three  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  ninety-one  dollars  and  ninety-six  cents  ($43,791.90), 
to  complete  the  bridge  and  south  approach,  and  to  remove  the 
submerged  piers  of  the  old  bridge. 
All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

(Signed),  GEO.  R.  JACKSON,  PresH,  ) 

GEO.  W.  QUINTARD,  Q  , 

WM.  H.  ROBERTSON,  >^omm>s. 
ALSOP  H.  LOCKWOOD,  J 
New  York,  January  1,  18(58. 


No.  62.J 


3 


ENGINEER'S  REPORT. 


To  the  Commissioners  of  the  Harlem  Bridge  : 

Gentlemen — The  excavation  for  the  stone  foundation  of  the  east 
retaining  wall  for  the  north  approach  has  been  completed,  and  a 
part  of  the  stone  have  been  put  in.  In  consequence  of  the  great 
weight  of  the  earth  and  gravel  filling  of  the  approach,  large  quan- 
tities of  the  underlying  mud  was  forced  out,  and  had  to  be  exca- 
vated. 

The  east  edge  of  the  filling  of  the  approach  settled,  and  occu- 
pied the  place  of  the  displaced  mud.  The  extra  dredging  and 
filling,  made  necessary  by  the  crushing  out  of  the  mud,  has  mate- 
rially increased  the  cost  of  that  part  of  the  work,  and  it  will 
exceed  the  estimate  I  originally  made.  The  stone  filling  for  the 
foundation  is  now  being  put  in,  and  when  the  filling  has  reached 
to  a  point  one  foot  below  extreme  low  water,  the  first  course  of 
heavy  blocks  of  blue  stone  will  be  commenced. 

Mechanics  are  completing  the  joints  and  fastenings  of  the  archi- 
tectural filling-in  castings.  The  mould  for  one  of  the  pier  bays  is 
finished,  and  the  second  being  commenced.  The  plans  for  the 
gothic  lamp-posts  are  in  the  hands  of  the  carver. 

The  brackets,  in  lieu  of  the  arches  under  ends  of  sidewalks,  have 
not  been  commenced,  as  there  is  not  funds  enough  in  the  treasury 
to  pay  their  cost,  after  providing  for  the  other  necessary  details 
which  are  yet  unfinished. 

I  recommend  the  construction  of  a  gallery  and  bridge-t.nder's 
lodge  on  the  tops  of  the  swing-span — the  gallery  to  extend  from 
one  side  to  the  other.  The  hand-gear  for  operating  the  engines 
for  opening  and  shutting  the  swing-span  can  be  extended  Irom  the 
roadway  up  into  the  lodge,  without  in  the  least  interfering  with 
the  carriage  travel.  On  two  sides  of  the  lodge,  facing  the  road- 
way, I  recommend  the  application  of  large  reflecting  lanterns,  sim- 
ilar to  those  in  use  as  head-lights  on  locomotives.  The  beams  sup- 
porting the  gallery  extend  from  side  to  side,  connecting  the  two 
main  arches,  and  tieing  them  together  from  the  under  side  of  the 
beam  to  the  bottom  of  the  box  girder.  The  structure  would  re- 
ceive additional  stiffness  by  the  introduction  of  four  brackets,  in 


4 


[AS8EMBLY 


keeping  with  the  rest  of  the  work.  The  bridge-tender's  lodge 
would  be  eight  square,  made  of  corrugated  iron,  in  a  light  iron 
frame,  and  lined  with  wood. 

The  whole  appendage  would  add  to  the  appearance  of  the  struc- 
ture, besides  giving  the  bridge-tender  comfortable  quarters,  and 
the  means  of  conveniently  operating  the  swing-span  and  looking 
over  either  side,  and  having  a  full  and  unobstructed  view  of  the 
passing  vessel,  and  the  opening  she  requires,  and  also  knowing  by 
observation  the  earliest  moment  when  he  can  commence  shutting 
the  swing-span. 

Temporary  lamp-posts  have  been  put  up  and  the  gas  supplied. 
The  public  are  now  enjoying  an  unobstructed  use  of  the  bridge, 
and  they  are,  apparently,  both  satisfied  and  pleased.  I  estimate 
the  cost  of  completing  the  bridge,  in  all  particulars,  to  be  fifty- 
four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  ($54,500).  I  estimate  the  cost 
of  completing  the  retaining  walls,  the  earth  and  gravel  filling, 
flagging,  curbing,  and  paving  of  the  north  or  Westchester  approach 
to  the  bridge  to  be  fifty-one  thousand  nine  hundred  dollars  ($51,900). 

I  estimate  the  cost  of  constructing  the  retaining  and  guard  walls 
for  the  south  or  New  York  approach,  together  with  the  earth  and 
gravel  filling,  the  curbing,  flagging,  and  paving  complete,  to  be 
twenty  thousand  one  hundred  dollars  ($20,100).  It  will  be  re- 
membered that,  in  my  former  estimate  of  the  amount  required  to 
complete  the  bridge,  I  stated  that  I  had  not  included  any  part  of 
the  cost  of  the  approaches  to  the  bridge,  or  the  clearing  away  of 
the  old  bridge.  Some  of  the  money  appropriated  to  finish  the 
bridge  has  been  used  for  these  purposes. 

The  submerged  foundation  of  the  old  bridge  }'et  remains  in  the 
river  to  the  obstruction  of  navigation,  and  should  be  removed. 
It  would,  I  think,  cost  to  make  the  removal  about  three  thousand 
dollars  ($3,000). 

I  have  placed  buoys  over  the  sunken  piers  to  warn  vessels  from 
that  part  of  the  channel. 

ERASTUS  W.  SMITH,  Chief  Engineer. 

New  York,  December  6,  1867. 


60/  Si 


